Why A Health Worker Got Suspended After Urging COVID-19 Non-Believers To Follow Rules

A U.K. health worker got suspended for his Facebook post urging COVID-19 deniers to follow rules.

Gary Oldershaw, an intensive care unit worker at Broomfield Hospital, already semi-retired in 2020 after many years of service. But he came back to work and help out during the second wave of the coronavirus, Essex Live reported.

In January, after a particularly tough workday during which several COVID-19 patients died, Oldershaw wrote a Facebook post urging people to cooperate and follow the set guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Peeps. I know a few of my friends on here are non believers [sic] of the Covid crisis, but, let me just say this. If ya bored during lock down [sic], come down to Essex and shadow me at work," he wrote in the post, which the outlet shared.

"This is not 'the common cold or even the winter flu,' he added, explaining how different things are at work because of the pandemic.

Later, when he was starting a weekend shift at the hospital and was already in full PPE, he found out that he had been suspended.

He was initially told that the details of the suspension were confidential and that he would eventually be contacted. He was even worried that he had inadvertently hurt or killed someone, reported Yahoo! News.

However, he eventually found out that it was because a member of the general public had complained about the post, which contained a few expletives.

"This is real s***. I have seen fit, young people die in my arms. I have seen these people die whilst I’m compressing their chest to get life back," he said in one part of the lengthy post.

"It is extremely sad out there. For f*** sake. Listen to what medics and the government are telling us. Stay at home and please look after yourselves," he added. "This is not fake. Hospitals are not empty. These pics that are going onto the media are pics of outpatients departments."

He also talked about health workers' need to wear PPE for work and their fears of bringing the virus home with them.

"I have to wear this for 13 hours some days and people f****** moan about putting a face mask on to go shopping," he added. "Stop being a c*** and do what ya asked to do."

According to Oldershaw, his post was shared 300 times. Others in their friend list may have shared it as well, so "it could have been anyone."

In the complaint, the person claimed that Oldershaw was "discriminating" against them for not being able to wear a mask, noting that they have extreme claustrophobia.

Oldershaw admitted that he did not need to use such language but said that he was also not approached before he was suspended. The email about the complaint, he said, was sent to the wrong address.

"I think they could have spoken to me and had a chat but instead, I've just been suspended," he said.

"I've put my heart and soul into this job and they've hurt me," he added, saying that he felt "betrayed."

A spokesperson from the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust noted that the case is still under investigation.